Because of Our Species
by Rainie
Summary: If ever there was a time when Darwin felt miserable, it would be now. Disclaimer: I don't own the Wild Thornberrys


**Holy crap this is the weirdest thing I've ever written. Haha. Well I know you guys think this is kinda nasty especially during the first few lines but don't worry it's not going to turn out as gross as it sounds. Have fun! I suggest that you read the whole thing before you start flaming me, though.**

**It will eventually be human/human. Don't worry.**

**By the way who is Shane? I know that he and Eliza kissed for like 2 seconds in Eliza Unplugged (Friend from England gave me that news), but do they stay together then? Err… Or should I stick with the American version where they don't even release "Eliza Unplugged"?**

**Whatever. And just so you guys know, DARWIN IS NOT A PET IN THIS STORY! Well,yeah he is but toEliza he'smore like a friend than a pet, so...HE IS A _FRIEND_! NOT _PET_!**

**…So… Yeah. Don't act TOO weirdly now.**

**Anyway, here's a lesson for ya, kiddies!**

**Sugar + Nothing to do + The Wild Thornberrys movie + My weird mind + Microsoft word This story.**

-

"Eliza, are you sure about this?" Darwin asked in his typical whiny manner while he watched his best friend, now 15-year-old Eliza Thornberry, fill her backpack with things such as water, binoculars, a compass, and some cheese crunchies for Darwin in case he got hungry.

"'Course I'm sure, Dar. Besides, you should be used to adventuring with me by now."

Eliza and her monkey friend had decided to go and hang out (Quite literally) while her parents went out and filmed their newest episode. This one was of the Blue Monkey, found in many places including the Congo, Angola, and Tanzania. Well, actually... Eliza had decided to go. Darwin just plain went for the cheese crunchies.

...So he said.

Darwin had a secret. A secret that he could not even admit to himself, for it disturbed him so. Eliza and he were of two completely different species... Man - Well, woman, really - and chimp. But, well, he couldn't really help himself. She had been his best friend for about three years running now, and she had turned out quite nicely. Eliza had taken her hair out of those pigtails she had always worn through her childhood days, and it had become longer, down to her mid-back in fiery waves. She had gotten rid of her round glasses (Nigel insisted that if she were to go out adventuring so much she needed something more durable, seeing as she had broken them about 12 times in the last 5 months) and replaced them with soft contacts, revealing her eyes to be a vivid electric blue. Her braces would be gone in a week, and as stated before, Darwin believed she... Ahem... "Filled out" quite nicely.

"It just doesn't work that way!" he would say to himself often. In his head, of course. He didn't need Eliza prying into his thoughts. Although time to time he would find himself gagging and thinking _'Ew! I can't like Eliza... She's _human

Though yes, he did have to admit that she had turned out to be a very intelligent, witty, and very beautiful teenager.

"Okay, well. Come on, let's go before Debbie gets on our tails again." Eliza said. Darwin looked backward towards Debbie who was struggling to get a jabbering Donnie out of the shower.

"Eeeyaddabaddasqueekee!" Donnie squealed as he clung stubbornly to the showerhead.

"Oh come on you inhuman brat! I have - to take - a shower!" The 19-year-old Debbie yelled. With a mighty yank, she pulled him by his waist and they both went flying into the wall behind them. "Ugh!"

However, Donnie was unfazed by the small crash and began squealing while he ran out of the commvee and fooled around with bugs near the campsite.

Eliza and Darwin simultaneously shook their heads and rolled their eyes towards the heavens before walking off into the woods.

"Have a good time, Eliza! And be careful!" Marianne called after her while she packed in all her gear.

"I will, mom!"

"Be home before dark, Poppet. We don't want you lost in the jungle now, do we?" Nigel gave a small chuckle.

"Yes dad!"

"We're not going to get hurt, are we?" The chimp asked while they wandered through the woods.

"No, Darwin, we aren't going to get hurt." Eliza replied exasperatedly as she rolled her eyes again.

"WE'RE not, or I'M not?"

"We're not, most likely." She said as she began climbing up a tall tree.

"Are you sure?" Darwin posed, climbing up after her.

"Yes, I'm sure." She moaned, pulling her binoculars from around her neck.

"Alright, just making sure." He got to her branch and sat next to her, speaking rather softly. "Don't want you getting hurt, that's all."

"…What?" She looked him over quizzically, and then returned her eyes to her binoculars to study the surrounding land.

"Nothing… Nevermind."

For a long time all they could hear was the rustling of the leaves and the occasional call of a bird. From a far distance they heard Donnie squealing while Debbie yelled at him for splashing mustard all over her favorite shirt.

"DONNIE! OOH WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU LITTLE BRAT…!" They could hear her screaming as Donnie continued to happily squeal, presumably running away from her. Both primate and human laughed softly. Eliza soon put her binoculars away and pulled a piece of fruit from her backpack, along with the cheese crunchies she had packed Darwin.

"Eliza?" He queried, munching on the little cheese balls.

"Hm?" She mumbled around a piece of fruit.

"We've been friends for around three years now, you know.'

"I know." Eliza swallowed. "And I'm happy about it too. Why?"

"Nothing at all, I just thought it might be a happy occasion."

"It's… not a happy occasion?" The girl asked, turning to him with her eyebrow raised.

"Well, yes it is, but…" He trailed off as he looked up into her eyes.

'_Those eyes, they're beautiful… I...'_

"Darwin? Hello… Earth to Darwin!"

The chimp shook his head and suddenly decided that he needed to go for a walk on his own to clear things up.

"Eliza… I'm going to go for a walk."

"Okay, let's g – "

"No, I mean without you… I'm sorry. I just need to clear things up in my mind a little."

"…Oh." She muttered, looking dejected.This was the first time Darwin had ever gone off on his own besides before they met. "Okay."

"I'll be back soon, I promise." The chimpanzee offered a small smile to his companion before he climbed down the tree and wandered off, Eliza looking after him.

'_Crazy chimp.'_ He thought to himself. How could he EVER EVER EVER like Eliza, especially… That way?

Besides, she liked _Shane_.

"I don't know what she sees in him! He's just a famous pop star!" He muttered, annoyed. Of course he knew about Eliza's crush back when she was about 12….

"_Oh, Darwin, look at him. Isn't he so cute?" She giggled._

"_Hm? Oh yes, fabulous." He would often reply, too busy being annoyed with the newcomer. _

_Eliza looked at him weirdly. "You really don't like him, do you? He's not so bad, you know."_

Of course, HE was just a monkey. His dreams would really never come to pass.

He sat down on a log and rested his head on his hands.

"Sometimes I wish I was human…"

"And why is that?" asked a voice. Quickly Darwin looked up to see a man with signs and symbols all over his dark body. He was carrying a decorated stick and wore a big crown-ish type thing on his head. The simian recognized him as Shaman Mnyambo.

"Complicated story…" Darwin told him miserably.

"I have all the time in the world, little one. Please, tell me of your troubles."

"Well… My best friend. I like her."

"The gifted one with the power to communicate with animals?"

"Yes, her…"

"You are not her pet?"

"She never considered me as such, I don't think…"

"Ah. Well, then, continue."

"But she likes this other boy – who is of course, human – and now I don't know how I'm ever going to… With him in the way and everything. I like being a chimpanzee and all, it has its benefits… But sometimes I want to be human."

The magic man thought for a moment. If this creature was driven to such an extreme – to be human just for one girl, then…

But he would have to be tested first.

"I have come to a decision."

"Yes…?"

"I will grant you the power to change between human and animal form at will."

"YOU WILL?" Darwin jumped to his feet excitedly.

"…On one condition."

"Oh, dear…"

"Darwin? Darwin, where are you!" Was heard through the trees of the jungle.

"Oh, my…. What's the condition?"

The Shaman glanced in the way of the voice, and explained quickly. "You may keep the power only if Eliza falls for your human form…"

Darwin sighed in relief.

"…And will not reject your feelings once you show her your true nature. Even then, only Eliza must know of your powers."

"I knew there was a catch…. Alright, I'll do it…"

Slowly, Shaman Mnyambo raised his staff and pointed it at the monkey. "Oobellaooobellaoobellababa, GIVE HIM THE POWER TO TRANSFORM INTO A HUMAN!"

A tornado of sorts erupted around Darwin and soon he was changing within the harsh winds surrounding him. His grey hair shrunk back into his skin until it was just a mop atop his head, he grew as tall as about 6'0 and his face shortened to resemble that of a 16 year old boy. When it was all over, Darwin discovered that his clothes had changed from a striped blue and white shirt with blue shorts to a white T-shirt with dark blue jeans. Just as his transformation finished, the Shaman disappeared and Eliza came through the bushes.

"Who are you?"

_-_

**This… Does not… Follow the storyline! Oh well. If you've read this far then NOW you can flame me.**

**It's supposed to e one of those Greek things. You know, where two people love each other but one of them turns into something due to something he or she did that was bad… This is just reversed.**


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